Merchandise holder attachable to service trays



Dec. 27, 1932. E. 6. DE FOE ET AL MERCHANDISE HOLDER ATTACHABLE TO SERVICE TRAYS Filed Jan. 22. 1932 6a y A ,n w MW f. a, J Maw m W6 a w 9 WW 011 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 umrso STATES PATENT OFFICE;

- EDWARDGuDE FOE OF OAK'ZPARK, AND CARL BRAIVIEIING, O1 CHICAGOyILLINOIS, ;AS" SIGNORS TO REID BOY, INC., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF DELA- MERCHANDISE HOLDER ATTACHABLE TO SERVICE TRAYS Application filed January'22, 193521 Serial n6. 5s's,d75l' Ou'r' invention relates to merchandise'holders which are attachable to service trays, more particularly] trays which' are employed' at wayside restaurants, barbecue 5 stands, etc. for alfording curb service to the occupants of automobiles.

The inventioncontemplates the provision of merchandise holding and or displaying de- -vices which'ar'e adapted readily to be applied to: a tray'wh'ereon refreshments are to be served, the said merchandise holding and/or displaying devices being readily removable when they have served their purpose or when the customer has indicated 'a lack of interest 111 the merchandise held and 'displayed byj such devices. 1 V

The invention is particularly concerned with the "construction and arrangement of the instrumentalities whereby the Inerchan diseholdingj (1 vi'ces are detachably mounted on the tray, and is not particularly concerned with the other structuraldetails of such inerchandise holding devices. p

In the accompanying drawing illustrating our invention} 1 is a perspective view illustrating a preferred form of curb service tray whereon the devices of the present invention are' Fig. 2 is a perspective of one of the devices embodying the improvements of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section which may be regarded as taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Fig.4 is a bottom plan view of a corner portion of the tray shown in Fig.1, this View il- ,lustrating how the clamping instrumentalities of the merchandise holding device cooperate with the bottom of the tray. I

Similar characters of referencerefer to similar parts throughout the iseveral'views.

H In Figs. 1 and 4 we have illustrated a metal service tray comprising a fiat central portion 10 and the upwardly and forwardly curved marginal portion 11,'which preferably has 'a beaded edge, as shown.

The tray shown in the drawingis one em I bodying the improvements ofour copen'ding 3 patent application, Serial No. 588,07 4, filed January "22, 1932," being'a tray having sup-L porting arms 12 which are hingedto the "ad-f -j acent upturned ends of metal'straps'13 which are welded or otherwise secured tothetray transversely of its bottom. Thetupporting Z arms 12 are controlled by a bar l l whereby the arms 12 may be swung to 'dependingpo sitions from the horizontal positionsofFig.

,1, and vice versa, and whereby, when the arms 0 are depending, the angularity ofthe arms to the tray bottom may be adjusted: The purpose of the arms 12 is to supportthe tray on an auto mobiledoor or the like, in the manner" fully illustrated and described in our Copend-cs ing application'aforesaid;

While the devices of the present invention were particularly designed for-use in 'co'nnec tion with a curb service tray" embodying the improvements mentioned in the last preceding paragraph hereof, it should be under the bottom 16 of each of the devices 15 isa spaced pairof brackets 17, these brackets be ing formed of metal strap bent to inverted U shape-the vertical legs ofthe brackets carrying integral horizontal flanges or feet in dicated at 18 and 19.

Pivoted to the foot 19 of each of the black ets 17 is a clamping element 20, which prefat 23 (Fig. 3) such cushioning material conveniently being cemented or glued in position, as shown.

In applying any of the devices 15 to the tray, the elements 20 are swung to the full line position of Fig. 2. The feet 18 of the brackets 17 then are placed on the flat upper surface of the tray, with the legs of the U "shaped brackets 17 embracing the inclined marginal portion 11 of the tray. Clamping members 20 then are swung to positions wherein their free cushioned ends underlie and bear tightly against the bottom of the "flat portion of the tray. Thus the merchandise holding and displaying devices may be quickly and firmly attached to the tray and may be just as quickly detached therefrom by swinging the elements 20 to their open po- 'sitlons and lifting the devices from the tray.

Each of the devices 15, when attached to the tray, is held very firmly thereon, due to the fact that each of its U shaped brackets 17 and the associated clamping element 20 engage the tray at five points, namely, (l) where foot 18 rests on the tray; (2) where the leg of the bracket carrying the foot 18 bears against the marginal portion of the tray; where the horizontal portion of the bracket rests upon the marginal portion of the tray; (4) where the leg of the brackets carrying the foot 19 bears against the bead of the marginal portion of the tray, and (5) where the cushioned extremity of the clamping element 20 bears against the bottom of the tray.

Having thus illustrated and described our invention, what we claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a merchandise holding anddisplaying device adapted for application to a service tray comprising a flat central portion and an upwardly and laterally inclined marginal portion, a merchandise receptacle, a pair of spaced attachment brackets carried at the bottom of the receptacle, said brackets being of inverted U shape, one of the vertical legs of each bracket being provided with a foot adapted to rest on the upper surface of the flat central portion of the tray, and a clamping element pivoted to the other leg of the bracket and adapted to have its free end swung under the fiat portion of the tray,

of spaced attachment brackets carried at the bottom of the receptacle, said brackets being of inverted U shape, the vertical legs of the brackets being provided with laterally turned flanges at their lower ends, one of said flanges being adapted to rest on the upper surface of the flat central portion of the tray, and a clamping device, in the form of a flat spring having one end pivoted to the other leg of the brackets and adapted to have its free end swung under and bear against the bottom of the tray when the marginal portion of the tray is embraced by the vertical legs of the bracket. 1

3. In a merchandise holding and displaying device adapted for application to a service tray comprising a flat central portion and an upwardly and laterally inclined marginal portion, a merchandise receptacle, an attachment bracket of substantially inverted U shape, a foot carried at the lower end of one of the vertical legs of the bracket adapted to rest upon the central flat portion of the tray, and a clamping member having one of its ends pivoted to the other vertical leg of the bracket and adapted to have its free end swung under and bear against the bottom of the tray when the marginal portion of the tray is embraced between the legs of the bracket.

4. In a merchandise holding and displaying device adapted for application to a service tray comprising a central portion and an upwardly extending marginal portion, a mer-' chandise receptacle, means for holding said receptacle on the tray comprising a pair of horizontally spaced downwardly extending legs, horizontal feet carried at the lower extremities of said legs, one of said feet adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the central portion of the tray, and a clamping member having one end pivoted to the other of said feet and adapted to have its free end swung under the bottom of the tray when the marginal portion of the tray is embraced between said legs.

5. In a merchandise holding and display ing device adapted for application to a service tray comprising a fiat central portion and an upwardly extending marginal portion, a merchandise receptacle, means for holding said receptacle on the tray comprising a pair of horizontally spaced vertical legs, a horizontal foot carried at the lower end of one of said legs, said foot being adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the central portion of the tray, and a clamping device pivoted to the other of said legs and adapted to have its free end swung under the bottom of the tray when the marginal portion of the tray is embraced between said legs.

In Witness whereof, We hereunto subscribe our names this 18th day of January, 1932.

EDWARD G. DE FOE. CARL BRAMMING. 

